The artist John Glover, his neighbour at Ben Lomond, said Batman was, 'a rogue, thief, cheat and liar, a murderer of blacks and the vilest man I have ever known'.
George Augustus Robinson wrote in his diary that Batman was 'a bad and dangerous character. He married a prison woman. He has recently lost part of his nose from the bad disease. Recently turned his wife out of doors because the prisoner servants said they saw the cook in the bedroom with his wife.'
Arthur praised Batman's work but commented drily, 'He has much slaughter to account for.'